Samsung has finally come clean about its next generation Android tablets, the Galaxy NotePro and TabPro. The Note Pro is a 12.2-inch tablet sporting the usual Note-series stylus, and like the rumors said, the TabPro comes in a whole range of sizes: 12.2, 10.1, and 8.4 inches.

The Galaxy NotePro 12.2

Despite running Android, the devices come with a Windows 8-style tile interface called "Magazine UX," which Samsung says is better optimized for large screens. The usual Samsung accoutrements like split-screen apps and floating windows are present, which should be even more useful on such a huge screen. It looks like the "Pro" moniker here is all about the bundled software (and marketing), as Samsung is pre-loading a remote desktop app, Cisco WebEx Meetings (a video conferencing app), Samsung e-Meeting (a content sharing service), and "approximately $700 worth of the premium pre-paid, long-term subscription offers from best-selling news, social media, and cloud storage providers," like a subscription to The New York Times and Dropbox storage. Samsung's Knox security software will also no doubt be a selling point, as Samsung looks to push into the enterprise and fill the hole left by the cratering BlackBerry.

The Galaxy TabPro 10.1

The 12.2 and 10.1 inch devices are meant to be used horizontally, with Samsung's hardware buttons located on the horizontal edge. The 8.4-inch version has the buttons and branding in a vertical orientation. It looks like Samsung is sticking to its traditional motto of "bigger is better" as, for now, a new 7-inch tablet is out of the question.

The Galaxy TabPro 8.4

The Wi-Fi versions of the devices use the Samsung 1.9GHz Exynos 5 Octa CPU (four 1.9 Ghz cores and four low-power 1.3Ghz cores), and the LTE versions use a 2.3Ghz Snapdragon 800. Everything runs Android 4.4 KitKat on a 2560x1600 LCD (even the 8.4-inch model) and has 16 or 32 GB of RAM, an 8MP rear camera, a 2MP front camera, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, and a microSD Slot. The big internal differences between devices are the battery and RAM. The 12.2-inch device has 3GB of RAM and a 9500 mAh battery. The 10.1-inch TabPro has 2GB of RAM and an 8220 mAh battery, and the 8.4-inch version has 2GB of RAM and a 4800 mAh battery.

The software is the real star of the show here, which unfortunately doesn't come across in a press release very well. We will do our best to play with this at some point tomorrow and grab some video when the CES show floor opens.

Ron Amadeo
Ron is the Reviews Editor at Ars Technica, where he specializes in Android OS and Google products. He is always on the hunt for a new gadget and loves to rip things apart to see how they work. Emailron.amadeo@arstechnica.com//Twitter@RonAmadeo

I hate to say this but do they really think Microsoft won't sue them now? Likely on similar patent BS?

It wouldn't really be BS, though. It's a naked ripoff.

It's a clear ripoff of Metro, but is there anything MS could sue over? If I remember correctly, Samsung is one of many OEMs already paying licensing fees to Microsoft for stuff Microsoft says Android infringes.

I hate to say this but do they really think Microsoft won't sue them now? Likely on similar patent BS?

No. doesn't look like a bunch of tiles to me, but would have to see how they animate really. Besides, they didn't really come up with the concept either, with another company already suing MS over live tiles.

edit: If anything, there is HTC with blinkfeed. Looks closer to that to me.

I really don't see much of a resemblance to Windows 8. Lots of rectangles... but that's about it. Maybe if you used the home screen once 6 months ago it might seem vaguely similar.

Personally, I think it would have looked quite a bit better if they'd actually ripped Windows 8 off. This reads more so 'tiling window manager' to me (not to be confused with Window 8's tiles!). Samsung did a much better job ripping off Apple with TouchWiz years ago than this for Windows 8 (ripping off Rat Poison, on the other hand...).

The 8.4 looks interesting. I've been wanting an "Android Air" tablet for awhile and while the Kindle HDX 8.9" qualifies hardware-wise, the locked bootloader and FireOS are off-putting. So I'm hoping that the 8.4's pricing and weight are reasonable.

I think there must be a wall somewhere at Samsung where they place photos of all competing products and they have their "designers" create mockups for Samsung devices on a spectrum from exact copy to a blank sheet of paper. Then they have their lawyers come in and by committee pick the design closest to the copy as legally possible.

Isn't the middle of a long edge a terrible place to put a button? In landscape it seems like it'd be too far away, and in portrait my hands would be far away to avoid accidentally hitting the capacitative buttons on either side of it.

No, I haven't used an Android tablet, much less one of this size and with fixed button locations, but I can't imagine it being comfortable.

The 8.4 looks interesting. I've been wanting an "Android Air" tablet for awhile and while the Kindle HDX 8.9" qualifies hardware-wise, the locked bootloader and FireOS is off-putting. So I'm hoping that the 8.4's pricing and weight are reasonable.

With the Tab 3 at $300 and the Note 8 at $400, I can't see Samsung selling this, a faster, much higher resolution tablet with a supposed $700 worth of software for anything near the Mini Retina/HDX 8.9 levels of pricing. Which I truly hope I'm wrong on, I'll pick one up in a heartbeat if it's sub $400.

... the devices come with a Windows 8-style tile interface called "Magazine UX,"

Now that Microsoft has stopped calling it "Metro" in favor of "Modern UI," Samsung should've straight up taken the name and called this Metro.

...and promptly get sued by Metro AG, which is the whole reason why Microsoft quit using the word "metro" in the first place?

Nah, they'd be Metro UI! Way different than AG! Anyway, I never heard the Metro AG lawsuit reasoning. I'm not sure MS would have anything to fear. Metro AG would have to show MS was somehow infringing on their trademark and unless Metro AG has been making PC user interfaces...

so why could they just put out windows RT tablets now there joining Polaroid on the metro skinned android tablet market. http://polaroidstore.com/products/table ... -black.htm hell now they are the second to put out an clone ui skin for droid and they were beaten by an dead camera maker

... the devices come with a Windows 8-style tile interface called "Magazine UX,"

Now that Microsoft has stopped calling it "Metro" in favor of "Modern UI," Samsung should've straight up taken the name and called this Metro.

...and promptly get sued by Metro AG, which is the whole reason why Microsoft quit using the word "metro" in the first place?

Nah, they'd be Metro UI! Way different than AG! Anyway, I never heard the Metro AG lawsuit reasoning. I'm not sure MS would have anything to fear. Metro AG would have to show MS was somehow infringing on their trademark and unless Metro AG has been making PC user interfaces...

They actually did. Microsoft decided to settle instead of going to court.

Go read up on the history before you speak about something you, yourself admit, have never heard about.

I can't agree -- except in the negative sense. I'm very interested in the hardware, but I have absolutely no interest in the software they've chosen to bundle with it. If the price is jacked up to pay for the software, then they've priced themselves out of my market.